Sign on to our statement on releasing Mumia Abu-Jamal
“The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me…because the Lord hath anointed me… to proclaim liberty to the captives and the opening of the prison to those that are bound.” –Isaiah 61:1
The death penalty is “an inadmissible attack on the inviolability and dignity of the person.” –Pope Francis, October 202
“Covid-19 is turning Prison Terms into Death Sentences.” –Brennan Center for Justice, July 2020
To Governor Tom Wolf, DA Lawrence Krasner, and Secretary John Wetzel,
As religious and faith leaders from diverse spiritual positions and political affiliations, we join together in this Call for the immediate and unconditional freedom of Pennsylvania inmate and internationally-recognized political prisoner Mumia Abu-Jamal.
As you are certainly aware, the question of Mumia’s innocence, and the significant doubts raised about the credibility of his trial, sentencing, and appeals attempts, are alone enough reason to release this long-held highly productive prisoner. Mainstream judicial rulings suggest that his continued incarceration not only fails in the service of justice but is inappropriate from a purely legal perspective. When added to that fact is the information that Mumia suffers from both Covid-19 and a recently diagnosed congestive heart failure on top of cirrhosis of the liver and a related very serious skin disease, his continued imprisonment also fails on moral and humanitarian grounds. Mumia’s is one of the clearest cases of cruel and unusual punishment, having gone over the past forty years from a death penalty sentence to general population with medical neglect — leading us to a current de facto death sentence which Mr. Abu-Jamal should not have to endure.
In the name of justice, peace, reconciliation, and a righting of history, we urge you to conform to the democratic principles you were elected to uphold.
Free Mumia Abu-Jamal now!
Sincerely,
[To ADD your name to the call, please send your confirmation and your affiliation, to: FreeMumiaInterfaith@gmail.com]
